Motor vehicle



0d. 6, 1942. Q HOWELL 2,298,054 I MOTOR VEHICLE Original Filed Feb. 10, 1939 Z Sheets-Sheet l l l I I l I INVENTOR ROY c.- HOWELL ATTORNEY Oct. 6, 1942. R. c. HOWELL MOTOR VEHICLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Fi led Feb. 10, 1939 INVENTOR L L MM m s m c. o m m 7 Y B Q E WW Ow Patented Oct. 13 42 UNITED STATES PATEN r OFFICE MOTOR VEHICLE Boy 0. Howell, Lakewood, Ohio Snbstitntefor abandoned application Serial No.

255,725, February 10,

1939. This application ,Angnst 3, 1940, Serial No. 350,899

3 Claims. (Cl. 180-74) by means of which the vehicle may be steered by the operator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle propelling mechanism and drive controlling means which comprises a minimum number of parts.

With the above and other objects in view the invention may be said to comprise a motor vehicle as illustrated in the accompanying drawings hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended" claims, together with such variations and modifications thereof as will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention appertains.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a floor sweeper embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the machine, with the trailer omitted, showing the propelling motor in elevated position, with the traction wheels and driving mechanism disen- Saged:

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation showing the motor lowered into driving position;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the sweeper;

Fig. 5 is adetail view showing the pivoted motor supporting platform; and Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line indicated at -38 in Fig. 4.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is shown applied to a motor vehicle which provides a support for a floor sweeper of the rotary brush type. The vehicle has a rectangular frame provided with side rails I, a rear cross bar 2, and a front cross 'bar 3. The rear end of the vehicle is supported upon a pair of traction wheels 4. The vehicle frame has a depressed forward portion supported on caster wheels 6 which are mounted at the front corners of the frame. The traction wheels 4 are supported upon an axle l which extends transversely between the side frame rails I, forwardly of the rear cross bar 2, the ends of the axle I being supported by brackets I fixed to the side rails l Upon the axle I there is mounted a tubular shaft 8 which is rotatable upon the axle I. The traction wheels 4 are rotatable upon the tubular shaft! and have ball bearings I U interposed between the wheel hubs and tubular shaft '9, the bearings ll having inner rings ll fixed to the shaft 9. The traction wheels 4 are preferably provided with pneumatic tires i2.

Interposed between the traction wheels 4 and overlying the tubular shaft 2 there is a platform II which is supported at its forward end upon a transverse shaft I4 which provides a pivot about which the platform I I may swing vertically. The rear end of the platform I! is supported upon a plunger II which is slida-ble in a vertically disposed cylinder I! attached to the rear cross bar 2. The cylinder It has a coil-spring I! mounted therein and bearing against the lower end of the plunger iii, the weight of the rear end of the platform I! being imposed upon the spring l'l through the plunger ii. The platform I! provides a support for a vehicle propelling motor II. The motor ll may be an internal combustion engine, and. as herein shown, is provided with the usual fuel tank l9 and starter lever 20. The motor has a crankshaft 2| which has axially aligned end portions projecting from opposite sides of the motor casing and overlying the peripheries of the pneumatic tires vl2. The platform I! is normally supported by the springs il in an elevated position in which the ends of the crankshaft 2i are held out of engagement with the pneumatic tires H. For depressing the platform in opposition to the spring II, a cam 22, carried by a shaft 23, Journalled in a bracket 24 carried by the rear cross bar 2, is engageable with the upper side of the rear end of the platform II. The shaft 23 has an arm 25 connected by a link 2| to a bell crank lever 21 carried by cross bar 28 of a U'-shaped handle member 20 which is rigidly secured to 'the rear end of the vehicle frame. The bell crank lever 21 is mounted to swing laterally to either side of its vertical position and when positioned at one limit ofmovement, the .cam 22 is in disengaged position and the springs I! hold the motor l8 in' elevated position with the shaft 2i out of engagement with the platform l3, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2.

When the lever 21 is swung to the right from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, to'the dotted line position shown, the cam 22 is swung down against the platform i3, depressing the platform and bringing the shaft 21 into engagement with the peripheries of the tires l2. The shaft 2i bearing against the treads of the pneumatic tires i2 drives the traction wheels 4 in the direction to propel the vehicle forwardly. The pressure of theshaft2l against the treads of the tires l2 causes an inward bowing of the por- I tion of the treads engaged by the shaft so that the tires have a substantial arc of contact with oted at their rear ends to the frame adjacent the axle I. The brush fl is. driven by a sprocket chain 32 which runs over a sprocket 33 attached* to the brush shaft and a sprocket 34 attached to the tubular shaft 9. The tubular shaft 8 is driven by the engine through a sprocket chain 35 running over a sprocket 36 secured to the motor shaft 2i and over a sprocket 31 secured to the tubular shaft, there being suiiicient slack in the chain 35 to permit the vertical movement of the motor necessary to engage and disengage the shaft 2! from the treads of the tires 12. The brush 30 may be held in an elevated position out of engagement with the floor by means 'of a lever 38 attached to a cross shaft 39 which is journalled in the side rails i, the shaft 38 having arms 40 adjacent its ends which are connected by chains Ii to the arms ii. in elevated position. the lever 38 has a latch bar 42 pivoted thereto which is provided with a slot 43 which'receives a pin 44 attached to a. bracket 45 secured to the adjacent side rails I. The slot 43 has an enlargement ll at its forward end which permits the latch bar to drop over the pin 44 to latch the arm Ii in elevated position. n the depressed forward-portion I of the vehicle frame there is mounted a removable dust pan 1. Forwardly of the dust pan there is an inclined apron 48 which extends from adjacent the top of the forward wall of the dust pan downwardly at an inclination to adjacent the floor immediately in front of the brush 3|. The apron is pivotally mounted on a cross shaft 49 and may be so balanced that its forward edge rests lightly upon the floor surface. Brush 30 carried by the pivoted arms Si. is held by gravity upon the floor surface and has floating contact with the floor surface so that it will readily pass over any surface irregularity-or projection on the floor surface. A hood 50, provided with handles ii and i2, is mounted on the forward portion of the with its lower edge close to but slightly spaced above the floor.' The hood can be readily lifted off the frame whenever desired, by meansof the handles ii and $2, toobtain access to the removable dust pan. 53 to empty the same.

The vehicle is provided with a steering trailerwhich consists of a frame ill having a front post ii and a rear post 62. The frame 62 may be termed oftubular bars, the bar forming the front post I being bent rearwardly and extending to the upper portion of the rear post 52 to which it is rigidly attached. A tubular member 4 connects the posts ii and 62 below the top, portion '3. The post 6| fits in a cylindrical socket 65 carried by a bracket 6 attached to the rear cross bar 2 of the frame centrally thereof, the socket I and post "providing a vertical pivot about which the trailer may swing freely. The rear post 62 of the trailer frame is provided with a fork S1 at the lower end. which is rigidly attached to the postwithin which is mounted a his feet upon foot rests 10 attached to the vehicle frame adjacent the rear corners and with his hands grasping the handle 28. So seated, the operator may readily change the angle of the trailer with respect to the main vehicle and 'therebysteer the vehicle.

The present invention provides a very simple and inexpensive motor vehicle for mechanisms such as the floor sweeper herein shown, since it eliminates controlling mechanisms such as the usual steering gear and drive controlling clutch,

. the movement of the machine being controlled and the particular procedure set forth, are pre- For holding the brush 30 sented for purposes of explanation and illustration and that various modifications of said apparatus and procedure can be made without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

- adjacent said axle and mounted upon the frame to swing about a horizontal axis parallel with the axle and forwardly thereof. a motor mounted upon said platform and having a shaft projecting laterally beyond opposite sides thereof and overlying the peripheral portions of the traction wheel tire treads substantially in vertical alignment with the axle, a spring engaging the under side of said platform for normally holding said platform in an elevated position in which said shaft is disengaged from the wheels, a cam mounted in the frame and engageable with said platform to depress the same in opposition to said spring. and means for operating said cam.

2. A motor vehicle comprising a frame having .side rails, a transverse axle having its ends secured in said side rails, a tubular shaft rotatably mounted on said axle, spaced traction wheels rotatably mounted on said shaft and provided with pneumatic tires, 9. motor support overlying said tubular shaft between said wheels and mounted for vertical movement in the frame, said motor ting shaft rotatably mounted on said axle, a trac- 'tionwheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, a

motor carried by the frame, means for driving said traction wheel from said motor, and a separate driving connection from said motor to said shaft.

. ROY C. HOWELL. 

